Rated B+

Seattle-based Redhook Brewery has been around for 30 years now, and its 30th expression of its seasonal Winterhook brew is now on the market. Redhook tweaks the recipe for Winterhook every year, and this year it comes forward with a burly, slightly smoky winter ale. Decked with molasses from the get-go, this malt-heavy beer offers notes of coal fires, bitter greens, cloves, and forest floor. It tastes stronger than it is — just 6% abv — which makes it a better choice for sipping on in this post-holiday-meal aftermath. All in all, a burly, but not overpowering, little number that dark beer fans should enjoy quite a bit.

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Wildwood Spirits is a new craft distillery located in Bothell, Washington. We tasted the company’s first two products, a solid vodka and a uniquely flavored gin. Thoughts follow.

Stark Vatten Vodka – Swedish for “strong water,” made from heirloom, local red winter wheat in a self-proclaimed European style. I think that’s a reasonably fair description. This is a rounded and creamy vodka with mild, vanilla- and cocoa-tinged sweetness. The core however offers modest hospital notes, gentle astringency that isn’t exactly biting but which finishes clean and easy. While a true European vodka would have less sweetness and more of a medicinal kick, this is at least a good entry point to the style. 80 proof. B+ / $29

Kur Gin – Essentially made the same way as Stark Vatten, then infused with “classic juniper aromas and flavors with subtle citrus (Seville orange) as well as Douglas Fir and Braeburn apples from Mr. Liedholm’s [the distiller] back yard.” Also in the mix are orris root, fennel seed, and coriander seed. There’s no soft hand with the juniper on this one; it’s a punchy pine bomb from the get go. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the apple notes are intense and vivid — the lively and saucy character like what you get in a young apple brandy, lightly spiced with what come across like pie spices of cinnamon and cloves. The finish is chewy and hangs on the fruit, building caramel notes and tempering the juniper considerably. A very unusual, but worthwhile, gin. 80 proof. B+ / $29

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The penultimate release of Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project is here, which means only a dozen bottles of the series of 192 bourbons remain to be released. For those keeping score, this makes 180 bourbons sampled to date over nearly four years of staggered releases.

Round 14 is a mixed bag of bourbons focusing mainly on the barrel, the variables being tested including the wood grain of the barrel, tree cut, and, as always, rye vs. wheat in the recipe. All whiskeys in this batch went in at 105 proof, used barrels with 6 months of wood seasoning and a #3 char, and were aged in a concrete floor warehouse. All are 90 proof, as always.

By and large it’s a very good batch, including one of the best whiskies in the collection, barrel #149. Barrel #82 remains the fan favorite among all the bourbons released to date.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #21 – Sherried notes on the nose lead to a rather racy body. Lots of wood up front, but this works its way, eventually, into touches of licorice, brown butter, cloves, and more. Let this whiskey open up in the glass. I spent more time with this bourbon than anything else in this edition of the SOP, and though it wasn’t my absolute favorite, it does seem to have the most depth and intrigue in it. A- (rye, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, tight grain, 17 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, top half of tree)

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #22 – Another butterscotch bomb with some evergreen hints to it, maybe touches of sage. This is a solid, but mostly straightforward bourbon that wears its vanilla on its sleeve. Balanced with hints of cinnamon creeping in on the back end. An all-around winner, with some slightly unusual elements to it. A- (rye, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, tight grain, 17 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, bottom half of tree)

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #117 – Cinnamon-sugar hits up front, leading to a buttery body that offers some toasty oak notes. The sweet-meets-wood combo is appealing, but a little undercooked. Could use another year in barrel. B+ (wheat, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, average grain, 14 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, top half of tree)

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #118 – Interesting, dark cocoa powder on the nose. The body adds in some vanilla and wood notes, but also a fair amount of heat. The lumberyard notes grow and break out a bit of Middle Eastern spice on the back end. A little odd, but worthwhile. B+ (wheat, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, average grain, 14 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, bottom half of tree)

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #149 – Beautiful caramel sauce up front, just touched with the slightest hint of orange peel. The finish is strong but balanced between sweeter chocolate/vanilla/caramel notes and the density of toasty oak on the back end. Easily the best bourbon in this edition, and one of the best in the whole series. A (rye, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, coarse grain, 9 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, top half of tree)

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #150 – Creme brulee notes up front, then modest orange fruit and some nuttiness — peanut butter, even — on the back end. There’s a nice combination of flavors going on here, but it could use a bit more body to prop up the sweetness. A- (rye, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, coarse grain, 9 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, bottom half of tree)

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #181 – Baking spices and pretty butterscotch up front leads to a silky sweet body with a lightly drying finish. Notes of red pepper emerge if you give it a little time in glass, giving this whiskey a surprising complexity. Nearly as enjoyable as #149, but with its own sense of style. A (wheat, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, tight grain, 9 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, top half of tree)

Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Barrel #182 – Butterscotch notes are clear here, much like #181, but in this expression the sweetness grabs hold and sticks with the whiskey to the end. The finish is almost candylike, without the spicy nuance. B+ (wheat, 105 entry proof, level 6 seasoning, tight grain, 9 rings/inch, concrete ricks, #3 char, bottom half of tree)

Three new winter releases from Smith-Madrone, located at the top of Napa Valley’s Spring Mountain.

2012 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay Napa Valley Spring Mountain District – Buttery, with strong notes of vanilla and nuts. Not much in the way of a surprise here, with modest pear and lemon notes duking it out with that big, brown butter back end. Ultimately there’s a bit too much wood on this traditionally styled California Chardonnay for my tastes, but it’s a fair enough sipper in the right context. B / $32

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Here’s a craft spirit out of Bakersfield, California, a Bourbon-like whiskey that’s not quite Bourbon, a spirit that wears its smoky character on its muscular sleeves.

The company describes how it is produced thusly:

Bowen’s Whiskey, a true artisan whiskey, is made from 100% corn, cut to proof with a proprietary, structured micro-clustered water to bring out the grain’s complex nuance. Natural, forest fire charred red oak, hand-selected during expeditions into the Piute Mountains of central California, provides the whiskey its unique smoky, campfire flavor.

No age statement is offered, but one would probably not be overly useful anyway with this curiosity.

Smoked grain starts things off on the nose, with ample wood influence. The picture of the campfire on the label isn’t just for show — the body features smoky wood fire notes, some dark clove and cinnamon notes, and the essence of burnt toast. Imagine the charred remnants of a campfire over which you’ve cooked the best steak of your life, and you’ve got Bowen’s in a glass. What it’s lacking is much in the way of sweetness — but that’s more of a stylistic choice than a specific fault. You’ll find some vanilla if you give it some time to open up in the glass and have plenty of patience. It’s there, waiting for you as the burly finish starts to fade.

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Two more spirits from Oregon Spirits Distillers in Bend, Oregon — these renditions of those two most classic white spirits, vodka and gin. Let’s taste them together!

Oregon Spirit Vodka – Distilled from winter wheat. Very innocuous on the nose, it’s got just some modest hospital notes and a dusting of white grape juice to provide tartness and sweetness. The body is extremely neutral — all vodka is supposed to be flavorless, in theory, but this is one of the most neutral vodkas I’ve ever encountered. No bite. Nothing much at all on the palate aside from just the lightest touch of toffee character to provide a little sweetness on the very end of the finish. If you truly want a flavorless vodka, look no further. 80 proof. A / $25

Merrylegs Genever Style Gin – Genever-style gin is distinguished by being a distillate of barley wine, and sure enough Merrylegs stakes its claim on being “authentic” because it is indeed made from a base of 100% malt barley. The infusion bill includes juniper, coriander, star anise, green anise, pink rose, and lemon. The gin is fragrant like a white whiskey, its malt character rising instantly to the forefront. This masks all the botanicals on the nose, but you’ll find them front and center on the palate. The anise character is easily the strongest, giving this gin a light licorice touch up front. At the back end, the coriander makes its presence felt more strongly, with a little kick of sweetness and a licorice candy echo to finish things off. I’m not sure what to think of this product — it’s easy to sip on, but it doesn’t come across much like gin at all. (I get almost no juniper character in it at all.) White licorice whiskey? Starter absinthe? You tell me. 80 proof. B+ / $30

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This grenache hails from McLaren Vale in South Australia. Those expecting the typical, Australian sugar bomb might be pleasantly surprised to find ample restraint here: Touches of strawberry and blueberry up front lead to a silky core that integrates mild notes of spun sugar to the mix. The end result is slightly sweet, but still balanced thanks to its focus on the fruit, and it’s surprisingly food friendly.

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Sure, there’s nothing better than fresh-squeezed juices you press yourself. But fresh, cold-pressed, pre-bottled juices run a pretty close second.

RIPE makes a line of seven fresh-squeezed juice-based mixers — all refrigerated, natural, unpasteurized, lightly sweetened with agave nectar (all except the Bloody Mary mix), and uncut with preservatives. Essentially RIPE is a juice company, but with its eyes on the bar, not the breakfast table.

We tried six of the company’s mixers, and are itching to pour them by the liter into this year’s holiday punch. Thoughts follow.

RIPE Cranberry Cocktail Bar Juice – Made from cold-pressed Ocean Spray cranberries. Tart, but lightly sweetened, just about perfect for cocktail use if you want actual cranberry flavor to come through — rather than vague sugar and red color. Flavorful, but not too punchy, though drinkers accustomed to sweeter mixers might find it not sugary enough. B+

RIPE Classic Cosmopolitan Bar Juice – Take the cranberry mixer above and mix in lime and orange juices and you get this, highly appealing, straight-up pink number. The Cosmo has a bad rap — OK, a terrible rap — but this mixer is really appealing, featuring a melange of super-bright fruit and that kick of real lime (which grows stronger and stronger on the back end, finishing clean and crisp). A-

RIPE Agave Margarita Bar Juice – Take the cranberry out of the Cosmo mix and you’ve got this appealing blend of lime and orange juices, lightly sweetened and ready to go in any quality margarita. Just add tequila, and you’re good to go with a cocktail that offers powerful — but not overpowering — lime character. The agave is stronger and more noticeable on this one (as opposed to cane sugar), but that suits a margarita just fine. A-

RIPE Agave Lemon Sour Bar Juice - Lemon and agave, a simple sour mix that offers versatility and bright lemon notes. Sweeter than some of the other mixes, and less focused on the specific fruit than, say, the margarita mixer. B+

RIPE Bajan Punch Bar Juice – This “tiki sour” includes lime, pineapple, and orange, and is spiced with Angostura Bitters and fresh nutmeg. The most complex of these juices, it’s an instant tropical drink in a glass — even the nutmeg comes through clearly and expressively. Not overdone one bit, it’s perfect for when you need a ready-to-go punch. A

RIPE San Marzano Bloody Mary Bar Juice – Naturally there’s a Bloody Mary mix, and this one includes San Marzano tomatoes, celery and lemon juice, horseradish, balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and cayenne. A thick one, and in many ways sweeter-tasting than anything else in this lineup, thanks to the power of those tomatoes. Racy, but not too hot, with maybe a bit too much lemon flavor on the back end. Still a highly credible and delicious Bloody Mary mix. A-

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We previously reviewed two wines (including the first two wines discussed below) in our coverage of Tuscany-based Frescobaldi, one of the royal families of Italian winemaking. In a recent online tasting with the family, we were led through a guided look at four of their current releases. All four are 90% to 100% sangiovese-based wines, but each comes with a much different terroir, aging regimen, and end result. Some thoughts on the four wines tasted follow.

2010 Marchesi de’Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva Nipozzano – Solid cherry with some bright acid, with notes of dark chocolate and coffee bean. Very herbal on the finish, with notes of rosemary and thyme. Quite drying but a clean, pure expression of Chainti. A- / $20

2011 Marchesi de’Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva Montesodi – An estate selection of the Frescobaldi sangiovese harvest. Really lovely on the nose, with notes of both fruit and perfumed florals. Bright and lush, the body folds together cherries and chocolate sauce into a balanced and complex whole, presenting notes of tea leaf, bay leaf, and mint leaf. Lots of leaves. A / $40

2008 Marchesi de’Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Castelgiocondo – A gorgeous wine, with a nose of chocolate covered cherries and a body that approaches the density of Port. Big and chewy, with touches of dried figs and black tea. Waves of vanilla wash ashore on the finish. Quite a wine, but definitely worth reserving for a special, meat-heavy meal. A- / $75

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Some time ago, I wrote about my experience on a three-day juice cleanse with Urban Remedy products. Recently the company contacted us to inquire if we would be interested in covering a handful of its products that are suitable for post-holiday revelry — detoxification, curing hangovers, and the like. It’s a happy new year, so why not?

The four juices below are all designed for getting you back up and running after some hard living, and what with all the New Year’s Resolutions out there, what better time is there than the present to dig into the stuff? (You might also check out the company’s tiny detoxifying tinctures, alcohol-based essences that you can mix into your juice or drink in a single, painful shot.) Since we last encountered Urban Remedy, the company has switched from glass bottles to plastic and now says that its fresh, cold-pressed juices will last for seven days in the fridge instead of just three.

Here are some detailed thoughts on each of the four juices we sampled. Get in there and detox! Or, you know, don’t.

Urban Remedy Soothe – Made from cucumber, celery, apple, spinach, parsley, ginger, and lemon. The celery hits first and hardest, but the ginger and lemon are effective at masking the intensely vegetal flavor. The result isn’t exactly refreshing, but for a muddy-looking green juice, it’s about as close as it gets. B

Urban Remedy Clean – Cucumber, celery, spinach, parsley, kale, burdock root, dandelion green, and lemon. Not much sweet stuff in this one, and yeah, it’s very “green,” with only that hint of lemon to brighten up a juice that is heavy on spinach and parsley notes. With 230% of my daily Vitamin A, 130% of Vitamin C, 25% of calcium, and 30% of iron, thank god this is really, really healthy. C+

Urban Remedy After Party – Carrot, apple, beet root, ginger, and lemon. There’s a nice balance between sweet and savory here, the carrot and beet offer garden freshness while the apple and lemon give it a more palatable body. Apple juice ain’t exactly healthy — there’s 34 grams of sugar in this — but I presume the other ingredients more than compensate. B+